


Rubble

by Koschei_Oakdown



Category: Green Lantern - All Media Types
Genre: Blood, Caring, Comfort, Green Lantern Sinestro, Hopeful Ending, M/M, Negotiations, Sad, Serious Injuries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-02
Updated: 2019-11-02
Packaged: 2021-01-20 16:28:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21284699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Koschei_Oakdown/pseuds/Koschei_Oakdown
Summary: An unhealthy lack of appreciation for personal safety complicates matters when Hal is dying and Sinestro wants to help.
Relationships: Hal Jordan/Thaal Sinestro
Comments: 8
Kudos: 28





	Rubble

**Author's Note:**

> Credit to DC Comics

There was no sign of movement from Hal. His face was turned away from the entrance and he didn't seem to have heard Sinestro's approach. Considering the large amount of rubble one had to noisily clamber over to get here, that was highly unusual and Thaal panicked. Just a bit.

The food he'd found dropped from his hand, onto the ground, and he hurried to Hal's side. "Jordan?" He knelt and shook the human, leaving a smear of blood on his shoulder as he did so. That didn't matter. Only making sure Hal stayed alive mattered.

Just as Thaal was leaning over to check Hal's breathing, the human shifted into wakefulness with a groan of pain. It was only natural to be in pain with such a large wound but that didn't make the sound any easier to bear.

"I was sleeping," Hal murmured his protest but at least his eyes were partly open and he was looking at Sinestro now. Those eyes were the most captivating shade of brown. They were also full of concern.

Dappled shade and sunlight fell across Hal's face from the makeshift shelter overhead. The roof had several holes in it, but this building was still more intact than the others. Having a bomb explode in the middle of the city tended to destroy quite a few things, including but not limited to, every single person and most of the buildings.

There was no need for Hal to show concern over Sinestro. It was Hal who was hurt and Thaal stroked a hand over his shoulder with a far more gentle touch. "I was worried." It wasn't a confession he'd usually make but circumstances mitigated it.

A smile curved at Hal's lips. How could he smile when so close to death? "I worry about you too." His gaze flicked to the hand on his shoulder, taking in the sheen of purple blood. "You're hurt," he realised.

Startled, Sinestro glanced to his hand and to the blood he'd forgotten about in his relief to see Hal alive. There was perhaps, a stinging of pain across his palm but nothing like what Hal was suffering.

If it got infected and began to hurt more, Sinestro would no longer be able to help Hal. That was the only reason he pulled his hand away and examined it for serious damage. "I believe I sliced it on a broken window." Now it was covered in dirt from how he'd been pulling his way through the rubble.

Pale fingers that were colder than usual wrapped around Sinestro's wrist and pulled his hand back down. Blood had already started to crawl up his forearm, but it turned and rolled the opposite direction once his hand was back near Hal.

The Green Lantern power rings the two of them wore had been drained, the consequence of protecting them from the massive explosion that had killed everyone else. So the material covering Sinestro's forearm was blue, even if dulled by blood and dust.

While Hal examined the wound, he tutted and asked, "What am I gonna do if you lose a hand, hmm? Or die?" It was the same thought Thaal had considered. "You have got to take better care of yourself, Thaal."

Releasing Sinestro's hand, Hal sat up, twisted around, and scooped up a bottle of water. Then he turned back, and his face showed the pain the action had caused him.

Already, Thaal had guessed what Hal was about to do and he withdrew, hand out of reach. "That water is for you -" he began to protest.

"Exactly," Hal interrupted. "It's mine. And I'm going to give you some. So shut up and give me back your hand, tough guy. Or I will come after you." Hal shook the bottle threateningly and the water splashed around inside. Still though, a playful smile was lighting up Hal's face.

With a sigh, Sinestro relented and offered up his hand. Cool water trickled over the wound, washing away the dirt and blood until all that remained was a split in Sinestro's skin. It was quickly bound up with a scrap of fabric from Hal's shirt.

The makeshift bandage was satisfactorily tight and Sinestro flexed his fingers experimentally. "Thank you," he said to Hal and he hoped his sincerity would be obvious. There was no one else he'd rather have tend to his wound, not even a qualified doctor.

Impossibly, Hal's smile grew wider. Sinestro marvelled at it. Everything for him was hopeless. It was highly unlikely Hal would get through this. Yet Hal had never faltered once.

There was no one Thaal would rather have been trapped with, though he knew it was a selfish thought. What he really wanted was for Hal to be safe elsewhere and if that meant Thaal would have had to die here, all alone, then he could have accepted that. Perhaps Hal felt the same way.

Sinestro's uninjured hand came up and stroked Hal's cheek. The smile faded, though Thaal didn't think that was because Hal was upset. It had only softened really, and a pink flush bloomed over Hal's cheeks. That was preferable to the sickly colour that had made its home there for the past few days.

Splinters of pain embedded themselves into Sinestro's chest as he contemplated that sickly colour might never go away. "I'm sorry," he said to Hal. "I should never have let this happen."

He was so sick of being the only survivor of an explosion and now he would lose Hal to it too. And there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Any composure Thaal might've had left was beginning to crumple in on itself like a piece of metal under too much weight and he buried his face into Hal's shoulder. His arms wrapped around Hal and he was panicked by the thought he'd never hold Hal like this again.

"It's OK, Thaal," Hal soothed, rubbing at Sinestro's back. But he didn't understand. Nothing was OK. "None of this - None of this was your fault. You always did your best for me. Even if I didn't always appreciate it."

It wasn't helping. Somehow, Sinestro only felt worse and he tightened his grip around Hal. Usually, that would be enough to calm him down. Not this time though. He was being sucked into a pool of despair and he knew he'd never climb out again if Hal died.

Speaking was impossible. It would only make Thaal break down completely. So he continued to clutch Hal to him while struggling to regain control of himself. It should be him comforting Hal not the other way around. Only one of them was dying.

A sound caught Sinestro's attention and he looked around. There was a small creature nibbling on the food he'd found for Hal, was stealing the only thing that might keep Hal alive.

The snarl forced through Sinestro's lips was a pretty angry one. It scared off the creature which scuttled away like a coward. Luckily for it. Sinestro was in just the mood to slaughter the thing if it dared to touch Hal's food again.

Nostrils flaring with leftover rage, Sinestro went to collect the food. No doubt there had been diseases on that animal. Just what Hal did not need.

After a moment of thought, Thaal scraped off the part the animal had been eating, then he dusted off any dirt. Once that was done, he took it back to Hal. "It was the best I could find," Thaal explained. "Most of the city has been reduced to dust."

Hal examined the stale bread and the look he gave Sinestro after was quite adoring. "You're amazing, Sin. But you gotta eat too." He tore the bread in two and gave one half to Sinestro. Then he happily started chomping on his part.

"I already ate," Sinestro lied with ease, trying to hand the bread back to Hal. It wouldn't be taken. "Hal, please just eat it." This was a constant argument between them. Hal needed to eat to keep his strength up but was more interested in making sure Sinestro ate as well.

"You need it more than me," Hal argued, dismissive of Sinestro's insistence. "Unless you're happy to eat me when I'm dead? I mean, I'll donate my body to that cause, if you're interested."

It didn't make any sense. So far, Thaal had always been sure Hal was confident about living, stupidly so even. Why else would he not be worried? But then Thaal realised. It wasn't himself Hal was certain would live. It was Sinestro. That was why he was so relaxed.

The bread was shoved forcefully at Hal this time. "I don't want to live on without you," Sinestro snapped at him. "So you can either eat or this food will go to waste. Which is it to be?"

Now, Hal was finally beginning to look upset, staring at Sinestro's half of the bread. Hurting him wasn't what Thaal had wanted, not in the slightest, and he hated this whole situation.

Then Hal looked up. "Don't do this, Sin," he implored. "You have a life outside of me - you'll be able to survive until someone comes looking for you. As long as you eat, that is." The bread was pushed back towards Sinestro.

Since Thaal was staring at the bread he refused to eat, he started when Hal grabbed his hand. "Just, promise me one thing." Hal's eyes and his voice both appealed to Sinestro. And they were both sad. "Don't forget about me, Thaal. When you're off… doing… whatever. You made me really happy."

Sinestro's expression was pained and he didn't allow Hal to let go of his hand. "How could I ever forget about you?" He was totally mystified. "You will be the only thing I think of until the day I die. You are -" Something else entirely compared to all Sinestro had met before. "Impossible to forget."

It was worth it for the return of Hal's smile. The bread lay between them, forgotten about. Arguing over it was ridiculous anyway, when they had so little time left together.

There was a small squeak, and Sinestro looked down. The creature had returned and was nibbling on the bread. With a hand, Sinestro gently shooed it away.

"Sin…" Hal looked thoughtful, staring at the nibbled on bread. "You don't think there's more people on this planet, do you? If the animals survived, something else might've as well. You could go to them for help."

Already though, Sinestro was shaking his head. "I will not leave you," he stated. "You will die without me. How will you get food? And I cannot take you with me, you are in no fit state to travel." Over and over, Thaal had considered every option available to him and this was not one of them.

"But they might have doctors," Hal pressed, somehow knowing just how to make Sinestro rethink everything. "Who can help me. And you can find some way to tell the Green Lanterns what is happening."

The option of possibly being able to help Hal was one Thaal couldn't just dismiss. Perhaps he'd been a fool to not consider it sooner. But he couldn't even think of leaving Hal.

There might have been a way, however. If Sinestro gathered Hal as much food as possible and then made sure Hal was comfortable, he could bring himself to leave. It would be hard, but Thaal just didn't trust he could save Hal by himself.

"Perhaps," Sinestro allowed. His gaze fell on the bread between them and he seized the opportunity. The bread was snatched from the ground. "Eat." Sinestro's gaze, fixed on Hal, was stern. "Eat and I will consider searching for someone to help us."

A short pause followed as Hal looked from the bread to Sinestro. Then he sighed and his smile was wry. "You always know how to get what you want, Sin." He took the bread.

Though it was a relief to see Hal eat again, that couldn't fight back the grief curling around Sinestro and locking him in chains. "I don't," he disagreed, and his voice was very soft. "If I did, you would live, Hal."

Halfway through eating, Hal paused and his gaze snapped up. His face were impossibly full of life. "You'll figure it out, Sin," he mumbled through a mouthful of bread. His hand shot out and clasped Sinestro's in his. "I'd be glad you're with me, if I didn't think you might die too."

After a moment, Sinestro returned the grip on his hand. So Hal did feel the same way. It had very little impact on the situation but Thaal felt minutely better. He allowed himself to believe, just for that second, that there would be hope after all.


End file.
